Never Too Late
by Made of Lilies
Summary: After four failed marriages, Munch had given up on love. He had shut himself down and moved on. Until he met her. Because it is never too late to find true love!
1. A Meeting of Fate

The number of hours he would spend wandering though the library just to come across something interesting enough to catch his attention was quite tremendous. He would usually stumble randomly upon something noteworthy and was rarely disappointed. Reading was wonderful, a gateway to others' intelligence- it was definitely an oasis to all the hurt and pain he would encounter on a daily basis. He liked going through works of people who shared the same ideals as him, people whose words were inscribed on his mind. It made him feel less lonely. He loved it.

He was currently focused on a very studious search, running his fingertips along the edges of the so meticulously engraved words. A small sigh coming from across the room though was more than enough to distract him and make him turn his gaze towards the origin of that sound. The sight was quite hilarious and he struggled to hide his laughter. It was a young woman, most likely in her late twenties. A true beauty she was. Her big, white blonde curls and their exceptional length were probably the first thing he had noticed about her. They framed her round face quite nicely and made her stand out. She was petite looking with an hourglass form. At first, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He was sure he must have seen her somewhere before. Then it struck him. She lived right next to him, apartment 2B. Of course. He would have recognized that beautiful face anywhere. He had seen her enter the building several times but most importantly he basically saw her every morning. Their balconies were right next to each other and he would see her sit there on a daily basis. Surprisingly, she would wake up really early when the sun was barely shining just like him and she would have her coffee outside, probably with a good book. But what really got his attention was how she would mutter sweet lullabies and water her plants with so much love and gentleness. She looked like a daydream.

* * *

She was struggling to reach up to the top shelf for a book. It was so cute how she would sigh and silently curse at every failed attempt but wouldn't give up. He was approaching her before even giving it a second thought, but he had to take this chance. "Need help with that?" he kindly offered and she jumped at his intrusion before nodding in agreement with a huge grin on her face.

He reached up an got it easily, handing it over to her gently. She took it gladly and the smile on her face grew even wider. "Thank you."

"No problem." he replied, grinning slightly and struggling to play it cool. He thought of retrieving back to his studies but something kept him there. He took a glance at the book's cover and was startled by her pick. Impressive. It was like he was no longer in control of his own actions and before he knew it he was talking again. "1984? Nice pick. You must have a good taste." his voice dropped and he was almost whispering. They were in a library after all.

"Well, not really. I just like pretend I read pretentious books by authors whose name I can barely pronounce. Makes me look smart." she joked and giggled, causing him to chuckle along. _Beautiful, smart and humorous. WOW._ he thought to himself before she continued "I just love books that really have deeper meanings and offer me something to think about. I hate it when a book is just so obvious and dull and all you can do is skip through the words."

He chuckled again, this time not because what she said was funny but because he was mentally struggling to take in all she said. It was amazing. She sounded so illogical but just like he did whenever he tried to explain it to others. So he knew exactly what she was talking about. But a young woman not only spending her free time in the library but reading this kind of books? It was so hard to comprehend.

"Like I said, good taste. Well, if you like this one, then I would definitely suggest a more classic one. 'The Republic' is a masterpiece." he pointed towards the end of the hallway where the ancient Greek philosophers' books were and smiled.

"Plato, huh?" she whispered and startled him even more with her extensive knowledge. She was just full of surprises. "Well, that will definitely be added to my reading list then." she giggled. The more she spoke, he was able to distinguish a somehow foreign accent. She sounded a bit Latina but with her low voice it was hard to tell so he just ignored that thought and nodded in agreement to prove he was truly listening. "So...thank you a lot for your help, Mr..." she urged him to introduce himself.

"Munch. John Munch." he rapidly answered with a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Munch. I'm Rosanna." she motioned for a handshake but he took her by surprise and leaned down to place a tiny peck on her knuckles, causing her to giggle silently and smile. _Che dolce._ she thought.

"Well, Mr. Munch...I think I'm going to let you go back to your reading now. It was very nice meeting you. And you can be sure I will take your suggestions to heart." she took a step back and motioned to turn around and leave but she was stopped at her steps by his cracking voice.

"Wait...I..." he stuttered and caused her to turn back around to face him again, her smile not once fading from her lips. He finally managed to gather up his courage and focus on what to say. He cleared his throat and continued "There's a coffee shop just around the corner that's really warm and inviting. If you'd like I would love to have a coffee with you and discuss. You sound so interesting. Unless of course you have other plans, which of course I understand. You don't really have to..." he was cut off by her exciting reply.

"I'd also love that!" she said rather excitedly in a high voice which startled him. Did she actually just say yes? "Really?" he asked and looked confused."Sure, why not? If you could just give me a moment to return those and I'll be right back." she pointed to a bag full of books that was laying behind her on a chair. He nodded and smiled, thrilled at his accomplishment.

It was odd. He couldn't really tell what it was he was feeling. For some reason, he found himself to be very attracted to her. In a way that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. He definitely wasn't one to be flirtatious, especially after all the disappointments of his past when it came to his personal life. He had slowly built a wall around his heart and did his best to protect it with his defensive humor and what one would consider as cynicism. It was his best weapon. Yet there was something about her that changed that. _No, no. Look at her. She's so young and so pretty. And seems to be very smart. There's no way she would ever pay attention to an old man like me. I could be her father. Absolutely not. I'm just being silly. But yet... she did say yes..._

 **che dolce=how sweet (Italian xD)**

* * *

 _ **Oh my God I can't believe I actually did it! I have wanted to write a Munch fanfiction or so long because there are so few out there and honestly he's my favorite SVU character EVER! I was so sad when he retired and I just loved his humor and everything about him. Thank God Barba came around because I needed some sassiness back in my life. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this! I certainly loved writing about him. I'm thinking I will upload very regularly 'cause I'm already hooked up. I love you guys!**_


	2. Buonanotte, John

The evening had gone by incredibly quickly. He loved her company. She had so much to say about everything single little thing that would come up. He was thrilled with her brilliance and her manners. She truly was something else. They had discussed so many things, from books to politics and philosophy. She was so interesting and even shared so many common ideas with him. She was perfect.

He took a sip of his tea, cherishing the warmth it provided against the pouring rain outside. He glanced at the foggy windows and noticed how late it had gotten. He'd soon have to leave but he really didn't want to. She noticed his mind was off and giggled, getting his attention back.

"Is it late? Should we go?" she kindly suggested and smiled. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry, I just got distracted." he smiled back and she nodded to reassure him it was fine. "We've talked so much though and you haven't really told me anything about you. You from New York?"

"No,no. I'm Italian." a look of uneasiness appeared on her face. Why, what's wrong with being Italian? "Italian, huh? How long have you been here?" he tried to maintain the conversation. He really did wish to know more about her.

"I've been in New York for about 3 years now and I studied in Boston before that." she smiled, trying to hide how nervous this matter made her. She really hated talking about her past. "Impressive...your English is amazing though." she blushed at his compliment. "Really? I've always felt like you can tell I'm Italian and it just feels weird." she pouted adorably.

"Oh, no. Accents are cute. They add character." she blushed even more and giggled. "So, what's your occupation? I'm sure it's something lovely."

"I'm a kindergarten teacher." she smiled awkwardly and caused him to chuckle. "I know it sounds so goofy and unimportant but I love the little people so much. They are all adorable and they show me so much love. It's just...magical." she seemed to talk about her job with so much enthusiasm that even he began to like the idea. "No, I don't think it's goofy at all. It's great what you do." he took another sip.

"What about you? What do you do for your living?" she asked with honest willingness to know. "Oh, I'm a detective. I work for the Special Victims Unit." he replied rather unenthusiastically. It wasn't that he didn't like his job. Of course he did. It's just that it always felt odd mentioning it in casual conversation. Being a cop definitely wasn't the best thing to bring up in most cases. Especially in his case and the situations he dealt with every day. Yep, definitely not coffee chat material.

She almost chocked on her tea and her eyes widened. "Really? Oh my God. That is wonderful. You must so much good. But...no, nevermind." she smiled and tried to ignore her thoughts. "No, tell me. What is it you wanted to say?" he urged her to continue.

"Don't you get sad though?" she asked with a childish tone to her voice. She knew it sounded a little naive but she couldn't help but ask. "I mean, you come across so many bad guys and so many dangers...And the horrifying things you must have seen. I know I could never do it. I admire you." the wide grin returned to her face.

"Well, it's my job not to get sad. Although to be honest, it's not always that easy. There are many times that I feel nothing but disgust and anger. But at the end of the day, it's all worth it when you know that you just put someone bad behind bars and justice was finally served." he tried to explain it as simply as possible. She smiled and her eyes softened in what looked like admiration, bringing a crimson red color to his cheeks.

"Amazing." she said but her voice came out almost like a whisper. She didn't even mean to say it out loud. "I can't believe I didn't know we were next door neighbors. I'd feel much safer at nights." she giggled. They were interrupted by his phone ringing in his coat pocket. His face dropped once he realized he had to take it, mostly because he feared who it could be. Of course. Always the worst moments.

"Munch?" it was Liv. She sounded a bit annoyed. Her evening had probably been interrupted as well. "We need you. We got a case."

He sighed loudly. "I'll be on my way." and he closed the phone leaving it on the table with a loud bang. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Something wrong?" her hands reached for her cup, bringing it close to seek warmth.

"I'm afraid I have to leave. Work is calling." he said with a long face and he could see she was also disappointed. "I do have the time to take you home though if you wish." he suggested shyly. He wanted to take advantage of every single moment he could in her company. She nodded her head in agreement and they both got up. To her surprise, just like when they got there, he actually pulled out her chair for her and handed her her coat, even opening the door for her as they exited. No man had ever been such a gentleman around her before. It was truly impressive.

* * *

The walk to their apartment building was relatively short but she cherished the warm company he provided her. They were now standing right outside the front entrance. He was obviously nervous about what was to follow.

"So, that's it. It was really nice spending time with you. I hate that I have to leave. But if you'd like, I mean, I would love to see you again. If that's okay..." God, he sounded like a lovestruck teenager. His hair had turned grey and you could count the wrinkles on his face but still it seemed like it had all started from zero that moment.

"Of course, I'd also love that. After all, we live next door, don't we?" her words caused him to smile, taking her hand in his and placing another tiny kiss on her knuckles. "Goodnight." he said softly and took a step back to leave. "Buonanotte, John." she giggled and turned around to open the door, watching him step away and calling for a cab on the road with the corner of her eye. Until she finally managed to unlock the door, he had already left and she went inside.

Her stomach was knotted up and she felt such warmth in her heart. He was so nice. Sure, he was a little old, but that couldn't matter any less to her. It only added to his charm. He was kind, polite, smart and his manners...His manners were unlike anything she had ever come across. His gestures were so gentle. The way he would talk and how he seemed to respect her. It was incredible. _So what if they had a big a big age difference? Why should it matter so much?_

 **buonanotte=good night**

* * *

 ** _And here goes chapter 2! I love writing this fanfic so much! Isn't Munch a sweetheart? God, I love him. Anyways, enough with my fangirling. Hope you liked it as well. Already working on the next chapter. *fingers crossed*_**


	3. Dinner Night

That night day was long and the day that came after was even longer. He had barely gotten any decent sleep and his head felt like it would soon explode. He even had to resort to drinking coffee, something highly uncommon for him. He was more of a tea person. But tea would definitely be of no help in this case. He peeked at the clock on the kitchen wall, 8:32 pm. He hated to leave the warmth and comfort of his house but if he didn't get going now he would definitely be late.

He slowly and hesitantly took a few last sips of his coffee and moved towards the exit, getting his coat and keys. He banged the door rather loudly and went into the elevator, but before the doors closed, she caught sight of her familiar silhouette running towards him, so he quickly used his foot to keep the doors open. She almost jumped inside and let out a small sigh of relief, smiling at him.

"Grazie!" she smiled widely as she stood right next to him but he only replied with the most ginger nod. Although he was truly interested in her, he felt hurt for some reason. Sure, she had not really turned him down or done something hurtful in any way but it bothered him that she made no contact in these past few days. On the other side, why should she? She had absolutely no responsibility towards him, all he was to her was probably the old, weird neighbor next door. And that was the thought that hurt the most.

He peeked at her with the corner of his eye, through his glasses' frame. _God, she's beautiful._ She looked even better than the day in the library. He could notice a cute floral dress hiding under her thick coat, paired with a very dainty set of jewelry that brought even more attention to the small parts of her body that were uncovered and her milky skin, her beautiful curls plain but still marvelous.

It seemed like an endless trip of agony down all the floors. He kept peeking at her from time to time and even caught her staring back, before he turned his head away quickly in embarrassment, back at the cold iron door of the elevator. _Oh God, has this always been so slow?_ They finally reached the ground floor and she sighed, startling him. She looked disappointed for some reason. Maybe it was just a bad day for her as well.

 _You know what? Doesn't matter whether she turns me down. At least I'll know I tried._ he tried to work up the courage to say something now, before it was too late. She was going down the few stairs to the exit. "Rosanna," his voice seemed to echo in the building and she turned immediately, encouraging him to continue "Have you got any plans for today? Perhaps we could have lunch together?" he finally spat out the words.

"Oh, mi dispiace, I'm sorry, I'm working late this noon." his face dropped and he answered with an awkward smile, trying to hide his disappointment. "I'm free for dinner though." she quickly added and won that charming, honest smile of his that she liked so much.

"Is 9 ο'clock alright? Where should I meet you?" they headed outdoors together and like the gentleman he was, he opened the door for her and let her go first. "I'll be right next door." she chuckled sweetly. "Right!" he chuckled along "Well, I will see you tonight then. Can't wait." he moved away. "Ciao." she waved childishly and her smile faded as she turned away and left. He stood there for a couple of seconds, watching her walk with a tiny skip to her steps, until he sighed in contentment and headed his way as well.

8:58 pm. She took her time to get ready and had paid attention to every little detail. She chose to wear a nice, burgundy mini lace dress that looked very nice of her and made her feel surprisingly good after hiding her many insecurities. After a lot of consideration, she ended up wearing flats because she just hated the feeling of high heels and how uncomfortable they could be. She was completely ready and now literally counting the seconds before she heard a ring on the door. Not a single second late.

She hurried to the door and was met with a large bouquet of pink carnations and behind the flowers a pair of the gentlest, kindest brown eyes looking at her behind the dark lenses of his glasses. She smiled and took them gladly, taking a sniff of their wonderful smell. "Sono tanto belli! Grazie!" she said cheekily and laughed at his confused look. "They are very, very beautiful." she added in and took him by surprise by standing on her tiptoes to place the sweetest kiss on his cheek.

He turned crimson red and nodded at her sweet gesture, for once more struggling to hide his excitement. "You look stunning." he followed her inside, looking around her apartment. It was very bright and colorful, in accord with her and was outstandingly tidy and clean. She giggled at his compliment, bringing his mind back to the conversation. "Should we get going now?" he heard her across the room. "By all means." he moved towards the large bookcase to take a look but was interrupted by her footsteps coming closer and closer.

She grabbed her coat and they left together. "Any ideas as to where we're going?" she leaned closer to his arm, seeking his warmth against the freezing cold of that night. "Well there's a great Italian restaurant a couple of blocks away." he leaned towards her as well in response, covering any empty space between them. She giggled and poked at him playfully. "I'll be the judge of that."

 **Grazie. = Thank you.**

 **Mi dispiace. = I'm sorry.**

 **Ciao. = Goodbye.**

 **(pretty certain all the rest of Italian is translated inside XD)**

* * *

 ** _Here's chapter 3! Hope you enjoy it! I also just finished chapter 4 so I'll either post it tonight or tomorrow! I wanted to ask you something though. I still haven't made it completely clear in my mind in which season of SVU this story belongs to. I was thinking perhaps season 4 because it was one of my favorite ones. Does it sound good to you? I'd love if you could give me some advice! Anyways, I love you guys! See you next chapter!_**


	4. Unfortunate Fortune

They had had the most amazing time that night. Hours of endless conversations about books and films and well, everything. They enjoyed each other's company because she somehow managed to combine the best traits possible. She was intelligent and open-minded, full of optimism and cheerfulness but yet so pretty and sweet. She was basically everything he ever dreamed of in a woman and what he thought he would never find.

They were now heading back home and she had drunk a little bit more than she should. Thankfully, he had been as respectful as she hoped he would have been and that made her obnoxiously happy for some reason. No man she had ever met would ever ignore such a huge opportunity to take advantage of her, but he...He was different. He was wonderful. It made her feel so safe that would always stand close enough to provide her safety and warmth against the vast darkness and cold they came across during their walk but at the same time kept just enough distance to ensure she wouldn't feel intimated due to her condition.

He wasn't sure what time it was exactly but since pretty much every store on their way home apart from the nightclubs had already closed, it was late. Their walking was slow and steady, which he enjoyed because it only offered more time to their splendid night. At some point, she even slid her hand in his gingerly, making his spine shiver pleasantly and he gladly hold on to it. Unlike during their dinner, their walk had been very silent. But that silence did not hide any nervousness, but only familiarity, something he would rarely find in another person.

Very soon she broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?" she asked with a sweet tone to her voice. "By all means." they didn't even bother to look at each other anymore. They didn't really have to. "You speak Italian? Because whenever I say something you seem to understand."

"Well, I barely know the basics. I can understand quite a lot though. One of my wives was Italian. I guess I picked up some things from there." he chuckled and she turned her head to look at him, her eyes widened in shock. "Wives? You've been married more than once?" her expression troubled him. His past was certainly not something he was very comfortable talking about and especially with people he was interested in. He awkwardly nodded in his head in agreement and he swallowed heavily before continuing hesitantly "Yes, I have made more than one mistakes in my life." he chuckled trying to lighten the mood. "4 to be exact." he looked down at her to see her reaction.

After overcoming the shock, her features softened again and she giggled, surprising him. "Well, we all make mistakes. You just made a few more." she said and smiled, lifting the weight off his shoulders. "That costed me 4 different alimonies and everything I had." his words caused her to laugh out loud. "Expensive mistakes then." she poked at his shoulder gently. He was surprised by the way she had taken it. She didn't really seem to be so troubled.

"And how come you got married to four different women but didn't manage to stay with any of them? You don't seem like that kind of man." she tightened her grip on his hand and run her thumb gently across his palm. Her hand fitted perfectly in his, like they were tailor made for each other. She liked that idea. "I was young, I was stupid. The moment I fell in love with a woman, I immediately went on to dream about a future and a family with her. Especially with my last wife, I fell knee deep into the whole fairytale thing." he admitted with a long face.

"I think that's sweet, not stupid. And mistakes are a way for learning. A divorce...well, four divorces" she giggled "are not the end of the world. It doesn't define you." she smiled encouragingly while they reached their apartment building and went inside. "Actually, when you're my age and all alone, it kinda does." they entered the elevator and she laughed with an ironic tone, causing him to furrow an eyebrow.

"Dio mio! Why do you keep talking like you're 80 years old? Smettila!" she playfully gave him a small slap on his arm and he chuckled, while leading her to her apartment door. "What? You didn't notice the hair? I don't know what you think, but they look pretty white to me." he joked. "They are not white. They're whitish...But that's not a bad thing. They add to the charm." she struggled to open the door but finally made it, turning around to see his blushing face and reached up to plant a sweet kiss to his jawline. "I had an amazing time, grazie. I'd love to do this again." she handed him a note with her number, making him smile.

"Me too. Have a great night." he stepped back and waited for her to go inside, but she stopped once she took a look inside and gasped. "What's wrong?" he asked with a look of honest concern on his face. She laughed, letting out a cute little snort which made her laugh even harder. "See that pillow on the ground?" she pointed at a small pillow lying right in front of the entrance. "It's a code. It means my roommate's having someone over and well...the other one should disappear." she continued laughing. "So, I'm officially doomed. She didn't let me know."

"Oh, that's pretty bad. Don't you have anywhere else to go?" he watched her close the door silently and sit on the cold floor. "Normally, I would spend the night at my friend Alan. But it's late and she didn't let me know earlier to page him." she sighed. "That's alright, I'll just try going over there and waking him up. How much could he possibly hate me for that after all?" she giggled.

He took a step closer, offering her his hand to lift her up from the ground. "It's starting to rain outside again. How will you get anywhere with this kind of weather?" he looked outside through the small windows. "If you want, you can sleep at my place. I will just set up on the couch for me and the bed will be all yours."

"No, no, no. You're being incredibly kind and thank you for that but there's no way I would create such an inconvenience to you. I'm not your responsibility." she quickly declined, amazed at his kindness. "It's no inconvenience. And there's no way I'm letting you go outside in the rain like that." he insisted looking at her with his big, brown puppy eyes that melted her heart and she gave in. "Alright. But if someone's going to sleep on the couch, that should be me. I can't deprive you of your own bed." she said strictly but received no reply, which made her think she had won that argument but she was very much mistaken.

He led her inside and opened the lights, revealing a very big and cozy room. It was very plainly furnished and definitely built for a single man but still had a very welcoming atmosphere. He took off her coat and hanged it up along with his. He pointed to the bedroom "That's where you'll be sleeping" and then back to the couch "and I'll be here so if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call. Anything." he pointed out strictly and she sighed, realizing there was no way she would beat this. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." she giggled.

"Should I get you something to wear?" he suggested gingerly and she nodded her head in agreement. He disappeared for a while and she took the opportunity to look around. He had a pretty packed bookcase with some very interesting books. Poetry, huh? she ran her fingers across the hard covers. Most of them seemed to be particularly old and emitted a rather strong smell that she enjoyed a lot. After finishing her inspection, she proceeded to look around the rest of the huge room, coming across a luxurious chess board but was interrupted by John's presence in the room again.

"Here you go. I hope this will do." he handed her a pair of pyjamas. "You play chess?" she pointed at her new discovery. "Well, I consider myself to be a quite formidable player, yes. Do you? " he jokingly bragged and made her laugh. "Perhaps not worth of your level but I did participate in several professional games when I was in high school. That would explain why I had no friends." she made him chuckle.

"I would suggest having a game but you must be tired..." his words were interrupted. "I'm fine if you are. If you could just give me a moment to change." she went inside and came out wearing the clothes he had given her. They were far too big for her, mostly because of the significant height difference between them so she looked like a small child wearing a grown up's clothes and that was definitely a ridiculous sight that made him burst out in laughter and she pretended to get offended childishly. "Hey, don't make fun of me!" she picked up a cushion from the sofa and threw at him playfully. "It's not me who's short. It's you who's a giant!" she couldn't help but laugh along.

"That's one way to look at it I guess. They do look good on you though." he admitted and she stack out her tongue, crossing her arms before she finally gave up and took a seat across the coach facing him and putting on a serious face. "Game on." she put a strand of hair behind her ear and focused on the board while he kept gazing at her.

 **Dio mio! = Oh my God!**

 **Smettila! = Stop it!**

* * *

 _ **Here goes another chapter! Hope you liked it! For some reason I love this couple so much! Like I said in the previous one, I'm really in need of you guys' advice because I'm still not sure which season this is supposed to be. Plz help me! By the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to reply to some of you guys' amazing reviews and all the great feedback you're giving up! I appreciate it so much and I'm so glad you like this! So since there's no option for me to reply to you directly, I'd just like to do it here so you know just how much you mean to me! I love you guys!**_

 **ragdolly216: I am so happy to find the fic! There are not enough Munch fics out there - this holds promise and I am reading on right away!**

Oh thank you so much sweetheart! I'm glad you liked it! I agree with you. Munch fics is a rare sight and that's exactly why I felt I should share this with you! I'm so happy you like it!

 **Guest: Continue! So good!**

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! I'll make sure there will plenty of chapters uploaded regularly. :)

 **Guest: Wow thats a big age difference got them haha, but great start. I also miss him and his cynicism. We need someone like that back on the show to temper Olivia's tendency to pursue cases that are hardly cases, like the episode that was about rape by deceit Munch would not have let her go after such a weak case and the son wouldn't have died. Again great job, but can you add the character tags to mske it easier to find this story?**

Yep, it's true that they have a huge age difference but I think that only adds to the overall cuteness, don't you agree? After all, it's going to be a major plot point in the future! I know, Munch is an absolute favorite and I will always miss him. About the character tags, I already took your advice and did that. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your opinion! 3

 **sidewinder: Always happy to see another Munch fan out there - I'm very interested in seeing this continue!**

Thank you so much! it's so nice to hear that from someone who's also so good at writing fanfiction! I love your works so much! I can't even tell you how happy it makes me that you guys all support me here! I love you all so much! :)

 **Guest: Awe very cute**

They are, aren't they? I've fallen in love with Munch all over again while writing this fanfic! I'm glad you liked it! :P

 **Guest: Another great chapter, but I was just thinking this story took place in season 15 because thats the last we saw of munch. I actually haven't seen what comes before season 13 because that's all the episodes on Netflix, but just do what you think is best for your story. Keep up the great work :)**

Thanks! 3 I'm super glad you liked it. Now about what you said, I thought that as well in the beginning but here's the thing. Munch was 70 when he quit SVU and Rosanna is in her late twenties here (I'm thinking perhaps 27-28) so I don't want them to have such a crazy age difference. Don't you think it's a little too much? That's why I thought season 4 was a good enough choice. I don't know, I'm still not sure. Plz let me know what you think about my points. Your help means so much and I wanna thank you! I love you all! :)

 **ragdolly216: Rosanna seems interesting, i'd like to learn mire about her, it's great that they have a natural chemistry and so much in common. Interested to see how this develops!**

Thank you! It's true that I wanted to make her just as intrigue and interesting as munch because I just want him to find his soulmate so badly and honestly these two seem like a perfect match, don't you think? Don't worry! More will be revealed in the future about just how many things they have in common and we will learn a lot about her as well. I'd love to have all of you guys by my side to support me!


	5. Sogni d'oro

"Checkmate." she giggled with pride all over her face and started cheering enthusiastically. "Thank you for being so earnest about your victory." he chuckled. "You are so good. I barely realized how you won." he admitted and she bowed her head in pride. "Thank you, kind sir. You were not that bad yourself." she let out a small yawn.

"You should go to bed. You must be tired." he suggested nicely and she nodded her head, not putting up any resistance. She went in the bedroom and was about to shut the door closed but regretted it and moved back out to come closer to him. "Thank you so much for tonight. You're my knight in shiny armor." she giggled and kissed his lips rapidly, yet sweetly. He wanted to hold on to the kiss, to seek more but he knew better than that and so he let her break the kiss and go to bed. "Sogni d'oro." she shut the door and he went on to set up on the couch.

It was definitely hard to sleep knowing she was lying only a door away from him and how he could make a move anytime he wanted just like a young and foolish version of himself would do. But he was no longer that stupid young man. He wouldn't risk what they had like that. He would wait since he was sure it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

He woke up to a someone gently poking his arm and opened his eyes to meet her own black ones glistening while the sunshine danced on her face and illuminated her locks. She smiled at him so sweetly and his heart felt twenty years younger. He quickly lifted his head from the pillow and peeked at the clock on the wall. It was quite early but he didn't mind. If only that was the way he would wake up every day.

He turned his body around to sit properly. "Buongiorno." she sat right next to him and kissed his cheek, leaving back a sense of warmth and happiness. "I'm so sorry I had to wake you up but I will soon have to go to work. I really hope you don't mind." she said but he was too busy looking into her eyes absent-mindedly to listen to everything she said. "No, it's fine really. I understand." she got up and disappeared inside the kitchen for a minute before coming back with two cups of tea. "I made tea though. I noticed how you always order that so I figured you must also be a tea drinker." she offered him one and he grinned at her pleasant surprise.

"Oh, you didn't have to." she put a finger on his lips stopping him. "Of course I did. It's the least I could do after all the kindness you showed to me. I can't thank you enough." she replied strictly but with a smile and he put his hands in the air giving up. "I must say you must be very sneaky though because I didn't realize you even got up. That's a talent." he took a sip of his cup.

She giggled and almost choked on her tea. "Well, I must say it was quite the struggle. You had all the mugs in the top shelf. Not all of us are tall!" she made him chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind." he took a look around to find his glasses but he couldn't really see anything without them.

"I think I left my glasses on the coffee table on your right. Is there any way you could hand them over to me?" the puppy eyes returned and she nodded in agreement. She moved towards him and leaned to gently place them on his eyes and he immediately smiled once he clearly saw her face again, taking her hands in his. He ran his finger across the faint lines of his palm, cherishing how smooth and soft her skin was.

His mind had been tortured by the same thought the whole night as it did now. Why was she there? What was she doing with him? She was almost three decades younger than him, filled with life and energy. She was truly beautiful, inside and out and her sharp mind combined with her kind soul was an undeniable combination for anyone to love. So he couldn't help but wonder but made her stay there, with him. He opened his mouth hesitantly, but immediately regretted and averted his eyes, looking back at his drink.

She didn't really seem to have taken notice so he just did his best to suppress his thoughts. She checked the clock on the wall and sighed, getting his attention back. "I should probably get going. I've already exploited your kindness and hospitality." she said softly and he let go of her hands, allowing her to get up as he followed. She straightened her dress and grabbed her coat to move towards the door, but she placed a hand on her waist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Can I kiss you?" he kindly asked and she felt her heart melt at his words. No man had ever thought of showing that kind of respect to her to ask if he could even kiss her. It was perhaps a little old-fashioned and modest but still so sweet. She nodded her head a little too eagerly smiled, while he captured her lips with his, kissing her tenderly and softly. Their kiss didn't hide any lust or passion, only genuine feelings.

He was about to break the kiss but she bit gently on his lower lip, convincing him to stay a little longer as he savored her taste and the softness of her lips. They parted and a shy smile formed on her lips again as their temples touched. "You taste so sweet." he cupped her cheek and breathed in, letting her smell mesmerize him for once more before she kissed him again but she broke the kiss more quickly this time, making him groan in resistance and she giggled. "I should get going. The little people will be waiting for me. Thank you so much." she kissed his nose adorably and stepped away to leave.

He nodded smiling and opened the door for her, letting her out and watching her enter her apartment but she stopped and turned around gingerly, whispering something to him and smiling coyly before she closed the door and disappeared inside, leaving him on the doorway, smiling to himself as he took in her words. _"Oh and, John...I'll be right next door."_

 **Sogni d'oro = Sweet Dreams.**

 **Buongiorno. = Good morning.**

* * *

 _ **Guess who can't get enough of John Munch and wrote three whole chapters in a single day? *raises hands excitedly* Hope you enjoyed! I'm feeling the love lately and I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me. I love you all so much!**_


	6. Cherry Tomatoes

He had called her the very next morning and arranged dinner at his place, for which thankfully she was eager to cook. Otherwise, he would have to resort to ordering delivery since he really wasn't that handy in the kitchen. He worked on making everything around his house all tidy and neat and came across a pleasant discovery while making his bed. Just under the bed, there was a very thin and delicate gold bracelet that he most definitely recognized. Of course, it was hers. It was very discreet and barely discernible but he had noticed it due to the contrast it made against her pale skin.

It had probably ended up there after her stay and fallen over when he changed the sheets on the bed. He picked it up carefully, because for some reason he thought of it as something valuable no matter what its real worth was. It belonged to her, and that was enough to convince him of its value. He gently put it in his pocket and returned to the living room, taking a look around to check everything was ready. She should be there anytime.

While waiting patiently, his mind ran back on the glorious moments they had shared the previous day. His cheek burned where her lips had graced him. His ear tingled from the sweet touch of her breath. And when they kissed, God when they kissed. He had felt severely light-headed, most likely from lack of blood flow. Her lips were exceedingly sugary, in the best manner possible of course, and burning with heat. He had even entertained elaborate fantasies of running after her, sweeping her into his arms and ravishing her lips with his own for once more, perhaps seeking for even more in the process. But he was far too old and far too experienced now to repeat the same mistakes of the past that got them into the miserable position of divorce more than just once.

While it was true that every day his feelings seemed to grow stronger inside of him and every minute of her company would only add to the his enormous desire to be with her, he somehow managed to restrain himself. Until the right time had come anyways. Immense and uncontrollable passion had never been a proper guide before and that certainly wasn't going to change now. But apart from that, there still was that irritating thought constantly finding its way back to his mind, demolishing all his aforesaid fancies regarding her. He still was more than three entire decades older than her, a dirty old man compared to her youthful and gleaming appearance. In some way, it felt disproportionate attempting to date a still blossoming beauty such as her.

Unfortunately though, despite all his second thoughts, he found it impossible to get her off his mind and ignore these plaguesome desires of his. Maybe after all he was in fact a weak and selfish man that only wanted her to herself and couldn't put her best interests above him. What possible future could the two of them have either way?

He swept his thoughts away, looking at his watch. She was late, more than twenty minutes now. He was starting to get worried despite the small voice in his head telling him that she probably had a holdup or something, for his gut always sensed the worse. The thought of calling her crossed his mind but if that little voice was right and she was indeed busy at the moment, he would hate to disturb her and make himself appear as annoying. Then another thought crossed his mind, one that he truly despised. That perhaps she regretted everything between them and perhaps...He was awoken by a tentative knock on the door and he hurried to open, meeting her tiny figure and he smiled, having erased all his bad thoughts.

She was significantly out of breath, most likely because the elevator was out of order and she must have run up the stairs. That thought made him feel bad for her but at the same time he felt a bit proud and flattered that she didn't want to be late to meet him. She was dressed in a casual manner, not that it made her look any less dashing in his eyes, and he concluded that the poor girl hadn't even had the time to change.

She quickly regained her breath and posture and returned his smile sweetly. "I'm so sorry. I'm so late, aren't I? My colleague was ill at home and I had to do everything by myself today at class and it was just so much..." she was chattering and she looked like she was going to have a heart attack from all her panic so he softened his eyes and tried to calm her down as he gestured for her to come in.

"Oh, you don't have to worry. I wasn't going anywhere."he reassured her, winning her smile back and she pecked his lips, sliding inside through the small opening between his body and the door frame as he closed the door and he noticed her placing a small bag of groceries she had been holding on the kitchen counter. "Now I didn't know what you'd have here so I came fully prepared." she giggled. "I was thinking pasta, perhaps?" she started taking out all the ingredients out of the bag. "Sounds great. What can I do to help? I must warn you though, you might not want to put me anywhere near flammable objects or basically anything concerning fire..." he made her laugh.

"What about knives? Do you think you could handle cutting some pomodorini?" she turned to face him again and laughed at his confused expression. She took one out of the box and showed it to him. "Pomodorini...small tomatoes." she tried to explain and his lips turned back into a grin once he finally understood. "Oh...cherry tomatoes." he approached her and took the box, preparing for his task and she grimaced jokingly. "Same thing." she muttered adorably under her breath and he could barely hold his laughter back.

He proceeded to chop them but stopped at the warm touch of her delicate fingers over his own, much longer ones. "No, you don't need to do that. You can just cut them in half." she spoke softly, calmly as always. She gently guided his hands along with hers and tried to instruct him but his eyes were locked on her as she stopped for a second to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear ever so gracefully, and he was finally able to admire all the beautiful features of her face.

His eyes fixated on her hair at first. Her unique hair, that was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was rather messy and perhaps slightly knotted, like she only finger combed through the waves after waking up. It was big with curls and waves and it looked so soft that he felt a surprising urge to bury his hands in it and enjoy the wonderful texture of the looped locks. It was a natural shade of blonde that noone could've gotten artificially even if they'd tried and reached her hips in tight ringlets that seemed shinier every day.

Then his look dropped on her eyes. Her wide, black eyes still looked like they were permanently surprised, but there was warmth in them that he hadn't noticed before. It was her skin, as well. Light freckles decorated the center of her face, nearly invisible unless you were inches away from her. Her skin was notably fair, if not pale, which still surprised him given that she was from Italy, a sunny country. It was silky, so soft that even his calloused fingers felt like they were gliding on water.

During his close inspection, he noticed a vivid smudge interrupting the smooth texture of her cheek and concluded it was probably some kind of glitter. He thought about telling her but he didn't wish to interrupt her. Her hands were still working with his, constantly sending shivers down his spine as they moved up and down, cutting with such ease that it almost felt natural. She seemed so oblivious to the fact that he was watching her, until she turned her face up to look at him and met his gaze and his eyes averted immediately, causing her to giggle.

"What is it?" she asked softly, almost like she was whispering and her hands leaved his to grab a towel. "You have a little...on your cheek." he tried to point her to his discovery but failed to instruct her so he dared to take action, running his finger gently upon the smudge and he felt her head tilt a little enjoying his touch. She smiled, smothering a small giggle at her realization. "Glitter. This thing gets everywhere every time we do crafts at school." she explained and reached up with her hand to brush it off absent-mindedly and continued on her own task, leaving him to do the rest of his assignment alone.

She finished up cutting everything she needed rather quickly, given how meticulous and coincident her every move was and finally caught his gaze but didn't seem to mind all the attention as she grinned and handed him the pasta for him to add to the boiling water. Their fingers touched during the exchange and he blushed a little while he felt goosebumps erupt all over his hand despite her eager response with her casual, bright smile and her cheeks that had turned the most appealing shade of pink. Not that he minded that feeling.

* * *

 _ **Hello people! I'm back! The truth is that although I wrote this chapter a pretty long time ago I had to go over it today and make some corrections. I hope you liked it. I know I finished it rather quickly and abruptly but don't worry because the next chapter will be posted tomorrow. I didn't want to make this chapter too long, that's why. I love you all! I'd really appreciate any possible feedback you could give me!**_ _ **Your support means everything to me!**_


	7. Non mi tocca

She had put together their meal so quickly that he admired her. The result was simply outstanding and they had both cleared their plates without even realizing it. Her cooking skills were truly impressive that he couldn't help but ask.

"Where did you learn to cook like that? That's probably the best pasta I have ever eaten and I have mastered the world of delivery when it comes to Italian food." he sassed and she laughed. "Well, I've been cooking since I was 8. Mama never cooked and when she was too drunk to even come home, someone had to take action or we would starve to death. But I love it very much, it soothes me." she seemed to talk about it with such easiness and the usual calm and soft voice of hers that it surprised him. He had never managed to open up about his own traumatic childhood like that. Sometimes her honesty could be overwhelming to him.

Still, he wanted to know more, although he feared how uncomfortable asking questions could possibly make her. But he felt like taking that chance at that moment. "What about your dad?" he hesitantly asked and she turned her gaze at him. "Non so. I haven't seen him since I was 4 and my brother was 7. They divorced and mama won custody only because papa had already found another woman and they were moving in Germany together. So he left and we never saw him again." her face dropped.

"Didn't he ever try to contact you?" his questions felt heavier every time, but he had to ask. There was so much about her childhood that reminded him of his. "Oh, he did. At least he tried to. He send us letters. Dozens of letters. They just never got through to us." she answered simply, light-heartedly. "What do you mean? She never showed them to you?" his heart ached at the painful look on her face as she nodded her head. "No. We found them many years later hidden when we moved out. She was probably afraid that if he learnt about all the horrible things that happened in there he would finally get us. I guess her wish was granted."

"She hurt you?" his eyes searched for hers and he could tell they were now a bit swollen. He really didn't mean to do this to her. Her look averted as she felt tears stinging her eyes, but she blinked furiously to keep them from falling. She hated when she looked so weak in front of other people. "Let's just say she wasn't the best mother we could possibly have. But it's all in the past now, right? There's no point in thinking about it now, is there?" she cracked a smile and her eyes were now glistening.

He nodded his head, not wanting to make the situation worse than it already was. He had caused her to tear up and he hated himself for it. They were sitting on his loveseat and she moved closer to him and then impossibly, she laid her head on his shoulder and leaned against his side. He turned slightly towards her, and she settled into the crook of his shoulder, her hands wrapped around his waist. She made a little sigh of contentment that melted him. He was filled with such exquisite, devastating joy that he felt his heart might burst from the sensation.

That was the first moment he realized his feelings for Rosanna wasn't just simple lust; he was desperately in love with her. It was the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about things that interested her that roped him in. Her big, black eyes would brighten, would shine with excitement, even when she spoke of the most petty and unimportant things.

She suddenly shifted around to face him and threw her hands over his shoulders and he lifted her body to sit on him, clasping her tightly to him. Her legs were now spread on each side and her face was pressed to his neck. She murmured sweetly "John, I think I really like you." and he could feel her lips against his skin as she spoke, sending shivers down his spine with each word. Then she lifted her face again to look at him and gave him the chance to gaze in her eyes. Before he knew it, her lips were on his again, kissing him tenderly, sweetly.

He wanted to submit into her love, her really did. But he had to bring himself to pose the question that had most troubled his mind all that time. "Are you sure about this? About us?" he said hesitantly and she stopped but refused to let go of him, nuzzling his chest. 'Why wouldn't I?" she looked confused and her her voice almost lost its calm pace. He smoothed back her flyaway curls, relishing their soft delicacy. His mind was a fog, utterly obscured by fierce joy and all-consuming desire. "Are you sure you want to spent your time with a grumpy old man? God, I'm so much older than you." he teased while he felt her nod.

"No. I want to spend my time with you." she sassed and surprised him. "Non mi tocca. I like your intelligence, your witty repertoire, the poetic way you have of speaking with that sensual voice of yours, far above your physical attributes." she spoke honestly and smiled coyly at him as he raised an eyebrow. "You think I have a sensual voice?" he felt his head tilt and she nodded her head, biting her plump lower lip and her cheeks turned bright red "Molto." Her eyes hadn't left his own intense gaze. Their faces moved closer, closer, closer... he loomed over her and could feel her hot breath on his lips, her hair fell on his face...

His lips pecked hers a little and a loud groan burst from her mouth, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to sweep her up in his arms, carry her into his bedroom, and ravish her. As if hearing his thoughts, she slowly, tentatively, worked on loosing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, before she placed one tiny, perfect palm against his chest. He let out an involuntary groan, and the second hand joined the first. The sensation of her baby-soft skin on his own rough was intoxicating. Heat spread from their point of contact, making him feel flushed and dizzy. "John..." she tried to speak but he crashed his lips on hers.

His throat tightened with emotion at the sound of his name, and his right hand reached for her face of its own accord. The gold flecks in her eyes glimmered in the firelight; her flawless, freckled skin seemed to glow from within. He stroked her cheek ever-so-lightly with his palm, then held her chin between my thumb and forefinger. Her entire body quivered, and her breaths came out gasping and uneven.

He untangled his hands from her beautiful hair and moved them to her hips, lifting both their weights up while she kept filling his face with little kisses and carrying her towards his bedroom, not even bothering to close the door in the process.

 **Non so / I don't know.**

 **Non mi tocca / I don't care.**

 **Molto / A lot.**

* * *

 _ **Ciao! How are you guys?! Here I am with another chapter! I hope you're all doing great. In this chapter, I finally decided to take our characters' wonderful relationship a step further. We even got to know a little more about Rosanna's past and as it turns out, she and our Munch share a quite traumatic childhood, don't they? I promise more details will be revealed very soon. Don't want to spoil anything. I hope you enjoyed that. Love you!**_


	8. La mia mamma è un incubo

He awoke early the next morning and laid there for a long time, simply relishing the moment. She was impossibly light and delicate, feeling like little more than a cat lying atop his chest. One of her legs was thrown over his own, and her back was turned to him as he kept one of his arms wrapped around her waist. He'd never in my life wanted anything more than to stay there, just like that, forever.

She was so peaceful in repose; he couldn't help but stare. He was utterly enchanted. Her pale, milky skin and her obnoxiously long white blonde hair that was sprawled up all over his pillows and sometimes even him, made her look like there was an angel sleeping in his bed, tangled in his white bedsheets that only added to how ethereal she looked. She was perfection incarnate to him.

She lifted her hair from her back, willing to kiss her neck but instead was surprised to discover some things he hadn't noticed the previous night. He stared at her back, his throat working furiously. Scars that seemed very old and healed despite the obvious remainders, crisscrossed her milky skin. His heart ached. _What beastly things happened to her?_ The pain of childhood abuse was a pain very much familiar to him and although he did sympathize, it hurt a hundred times worse to know that it was someone he cared so deeply for had gone through the same hardships as him, if not even worse as the evidence suggested.

He swept her hair to the front and spotted a fully healed burn in between her shoulder blades and another one on the tiny curve of her neck, just below the beginning of her hairline. _Where had she gotten them from?_ These were not simply wounds from scalding - they were definitely caused by contact with fire. _What kind of heartless, cruel and inhumane monster could have possibly done that?_

Apparently, his inspection had awoken her because she stirred and looked at him sleepily, shifting her whole body to face him. He ran his knuckles across her cheek and she smiled adorably. Noticing the tears that had gathered in his eyes, her smile turned to a look of concern and she snuggled closer to him under the covers. "What's wrong?" she snaked her arms around him and her voice was serene and sweet as always.

He buried his hand in her hair again and run his fingers through her curls. "What did she do to you?" he asked softly, almost like he was whispering. Her eyes widened at his remark but she returned to her tranquil state quickly and she was about to avert her gaze but he stopped her but kissing her lips rapidly. "You don't have to tell me. I know how hard it is. You don't have to say anything yet. Not until you feel like you're ready. One day perhaps, when you do feel ready, I'll be here." he looked deeply into her dark eyes and saw tears starting to fall from them but he gently wiped them away with his thumb and she smiled again, nuzzling into his chest. "I promise." she whispered against it and he just held onto her tightly. She made his heart skip a bit with a sleepy little smile, then closed her eyes.

Eventually, comforted by her presence and the heartwarming feeling of holding her so close, he drifted off back to sleep as well. It was Sunday, the only day of the week that he got to himself, so he hopefully wouldn't have to leave his bed and the belle that lied on it for anything.

* * *

He woke up again much later in the morning and the sun was now shining golden in the room despite the freezing temperatures outside and the strong wind that was mercilessly hitting on his sills and making loud banging noises that bothered him in his light sleep.

He opened his eyes and stretched one arm to grab his glasses from his nightstand but it didn't take him long to realize he already had them on from earlier. She was still buried deep in his arms, her face hidden behind her dirty blonde hair that had such a captivating effect on him. He stirred off his position as gently as possible, trying not to interrupt her tranquility.

He threw on the first pair of pyjamas he could find and moved towards his kitchen, moving silently as a cat. It felt like since he was never an experienced cook, more like a disaster in the kitchen, the plain thing to do would be to at least brew some tea for both of them. Perhaps he would be lucky enough to have her fix up something when she too rose from bed.

He got carried away from his thoughts, staring at the brewing pot absent-mindedly and gathering his thoughts but suddenly arms wrapped around him from behind, sliding under his shoulders and nearly encircling his waist. He jumped at first, then immediately relaxed. He allowed his hands to rest upon hers just above his abdomen. He relished their physical contact, although it had been mere minutes since he left his bedroom but for some reason he had already missed her.

Snow was starting to fall gently outside, lending a magical silence to the grounds. He leaned down to kiss one of her palms and she rested her head on his back, pressing him with her weight towards the counter, but he rather enjoyed how close they were. Soon enough, she broke their odd embrace and appeared on his side, lifting up to her tiptoes to climb and sit on the kitchen counter, facing him.

She was wearing the pyjamas he had left out for her and her hair was caught in a very loose ponytail hanging on the side of her head, covering most of her chest with its overwhelming mass. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him in a tender, yet passionate kiss but when they parted and he lifted his head, banging it loudly on the cupboard above her. He grunted, chuckling lightly as she burst out in laughter so loud that he was sure he had heard her snort a little. "Hey...Don't laugh! That hurt you know..." he cried jokingly and she struggled to smother her giggles, looking softly at him and running her hand through his messy hair to meet the tiny swell that had started to form on his scalp as she gently massaged it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to laugh...Could you forgive me?" she looked at him with her huge puppy eyes but he continued to play along, barely resisting how cute she was. "I don't know. Perhaps. It's definitely going to leave a bump though." he caused her to smile sympathetically and she lightly ran her fingers up and down his chest. "Aw...Should I kiss it and make it alright then?" she suggested with her innocent smile and he nodded childishly, leaning down as she brushed her lips across his hair lightly and giggled.

He smiled at her adorable gesture and moved away from her hold to prepare the tea. She didn't say anything, just smiled at him as he turned away, his back facing her. "Do I disgust you?" he heard her choke out hesitantly, her voice almost shaking but never losing its melodic sound. He nearly dropped his cup and burnt himself at her words. _Why would she think she disgusted him?_ He turned around immediately, her eyes searching for her face but she kept her gaze on the ground, tears building up inside her big,glimmering eyes.

"What?" he asked in a low voice, almost like he was whispering. Perhaps he had just overheard. She refused to look back at him and instead moved her eyes to her hands that were resting on her lap. "Do I disgust you?" she insisted, swallowing tensely and finally managed to lift her eyes that met his intense stare, his eyes widened in surprise as he took in her every word. It dawned on him that she had mistakenly concluded that he was repulsed by his findings that morning and now felt different about her.

John wanted to kick himself for being so indiscreet towards her. He knew very well how nasty the scars from a miserable childhood like that could be - both physical and psychological. It was a bizzare feeling every time someone wished to know more about his experiences and it most definitely was difficult to open up about that matter. But he had never encountered it on another and so he let himself get carried away by his curiosity and genuine concern. And now there he was, hating himself for even causing her to think anything of that sort.

His feelings had indeed changed. But only because he now more than ever felt the need to hold her, to love her, to show her just how precious she felt to him. He hurried back towards her, grasping her shoulders gently and lowering his body to stand in front of her, his eyes meeting hers. "Never." he stated with absolute conviction and then his features softened as he watched the first tears running down the smooth curve of her cheeks. "That would never be possible." a smile formed on his lips and he wiped her tears.

He longed to hold her and soothe her but her look suggested she wished to continue so instead he let her speak instead. "Papa left because she was - is a nightmare. She started drinking when I was very young and it would only get worse through the years. When he met Julia and wanted to take us in Germany to leave with her, she snapped. For some reason, the court thought we were best of with her. I guess they were wrong, huh?" she cracked a smile as tears continued streaming down her gorgeous, big eyes and he struggled to keep his calm.

She swallowed heavily and breathed out. "Not long after, things took a turn for the worse. Sometimes she didn't even find her way home at nights and we had to stay alone. Then she started hitting us. I-I'm not sure how it started. I think it was when her boss fired her for always being late and turning up at work drunk. Si, that must be it. It started off as a slap. Caesar had asked her to help him with his homework and she just...she just slapped him. I mean - she had no reason to. And she didn't even regret it. She just did it." she now started whimpering.

He couldn't help but wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly. He wished to stop her, to tell her it's alright. But at the same time he felt happy that she had opened up to him. It meant she trusted him fully, unconditionally. She lay her head in his shoulder and let herself burst into hot, uncontrollable tears and childish whimpers and he just held on to her like dear life, because that was the only thing he could do. Be there for her.

With an explosive sigh, she deflated; her shoulders slumped and air blasted out from her slightly bloated cheeks. He stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do in this situation; he had never been in such a position before. But when she crumpled to the floor and started to cry, instincts took over, and he ran over to her.

"The burn...it happened when I was 10. Her boyfriend had left her and she - she was angry. Very angry. I tried to talk to her and she p-pushed me away towards the stove. Grazie al cielo I was lucky. It could have been my face." she smiled weakly and tried to lighten the mood. She cleared her throat and he lifted his face from her hair, looking for some response in his eyes at least.

John tightened his hold on her and pulled her even closer. He placed his chin on her temple and just stood there, caressing her back, doing his best to comfort her. When her tone was calm again, he moved a bit to give her some space to breathe. He tried to say something, anything would be good at that point, but he really didn't know what. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." was all he could spit out and she continued sobbing in his arms that radiated warmth and comfort.

 **Grazie al cielo / Thank God**

* * *

 _ **Hi guys! Here I am again. I feel like it's been so long since I last uploaded. Gosh, I'm so sorry. But this chapter has been SO HARD TO WRITE. I was literally struggling for days. I wanted to make this scene pretty emotional and fluffy. I hope I have managed that. Plz take the time to review and let me know what you think. I love hearing you guys' opinions! You all mean so much to me! I love you guys! See you soon!**_


	9. Ti Amo

It had been a little less than a month since their first night together and they had grown closer and closer every day. The revealing of both their pasts most definitely changed a lot between them, despite the fact that they never truly mentioned it again. They didn't have to. It was a chapter closed in their lives that mattered not anymore.

John found he couldn't even picture a life without her anymore. He had grown too accustomed to her soft fair skin brushing against his, her delicate yet bushy curls that always ended up in his face in the night, her silky and melodic voice and the stubborn way she insisted upon caring for him.

Sometimes he felt like it was a dream. Like he would soon wake up and find himself back at the miserable state he once was, lonely and desperate for some love, for some affection. And it was at those particular moments that she somehow seemed to read his thoughts and drew closer to him, nesting herself inside his warm embrace, talking sweet nothings and showing him for once more just how lucky he was to have her and love her.

 _Love her._ Yes, he loved her. He had realized long ago, when he had stood her up -not on purpose of course- and she had to wait forty minutes, her only protection against the pouring being the tiny space the bus stop and its tiny roof provided. She was wet and freezing when he finally got there but didn't even make a sound about it. He expected her to flee and leave their supposed date. he wouldn't blame her. But for once more, Rosanna surprised him and didn't make the slightest of complaints. She just kissed him sweetly and took hold of his hand, waiting for him to take the lead for the rest of the night. That night, he was sure he loved her.

Despite his certainty though, he still hadn't admitted the full depth of his feelings to her. It wasn't that he didn't wish her to know, he just dread the possibility that maybe she didn't feel the same way about him. Sure, she showed him endless signs of affection and perhaps even more but he didn't want to take the risk. Or at least he didn't have the courage to just yet.

He feared the implications it could have on their relationship. He was still 52 and she was still 25. That was more than double her age and as the realist that he had always been, he was sure she would realize one day and be the one to cut it off. During their exits together, he was always weary towards that particular factor in their relationship. Every time they kissed or did the smallest of gestures people would scrutinize them with their eyes, sometimes even muttering things behind their back. Yet, somehow, she seemed to be completely oblivious to their stares and their hurtful comments. She just kept on smiling like it was all fine. Like they were fine.

Today was one of these days that a single thing someone had said would find its into his mind and torture him endlessly. They had gone out grocery shopping - an activity he would despise otherwise, but she was there so it didn't bother him so much. The clerk there had commented on their appearance together and as he recalled her exact words were _"Oh, dad and daughter doing shopping together. That is so sweet. I wish my daddy and I had that kind of relationship."_ she had whispered to Rosanna and smiled widely as they checked out.

He was dumbfounded at her comment. Sure, he knew that it was an uncanny age difference that could lead to that conclusion but it just felt so odd hearing it. He immediately looked down at Rosanna's face that had turned bright red as she tried to smother her laughter and they headed back home. He didn't say anything - only grunted and she pretended she hadn't heard him, waiting for him to calm down.

They were now home and they entered, him shutting the door behind him rather loudly. He just stared at her, how she went on to empty everything in his cupboards, that calm and peaceful expression of hers never leaving her beautiful face. For some reason, that infuriated him even more and she finally took notice in his obvious state of discomfort, yet she remained serene.

"Something wrong, tesoro?" she asked softly, sweetly as she always would. The look of innocence on her face was something he loved about her, how she would shut her ears and eyes to any negativity coming from the outside world but still was smart enough to always know the truth even if she ignored it. But at that moment, it drove him crazy. He breathed out, trying to control his anger so he wouldn't take it out on her. She must have noticed because she walked towards him and wrapped her hands around his waist, her head leaning upwards to look at him. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked again, adorably and guilt started to wash over him.

"No." he answered strictly and miserably failed to soften his look and turned his look the other way, desperately trying to gain control over his bitterness. She didn't deserve this. "Didn't you hear what she said?" he spat out, anxiously waiting for her answer. "Are you talking about the girl in the grocery store?"

For some reason, he snapped uncontrollably and lost his temper. "Of course I'm talking about her! You heard what she said! You heard what they all said! They keep looking at us, judging us. You're like what? 25 years younger than me? No doubt people must think you're being paid to escort me. I fail to see how you don't seem to mind that." he was shouting now, although that was not his intention. The expression on her face was not clear for him to read although she looked a little hurt by the tone of his words.

"Do you mind?" it was a simple question, three plain words spoken with her calm voice. He huffed and opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't utter a word. He breathed out, gathering his thoughts. "This is absurd. You're the most wonderful woman one could ever ask for. So honestly, I have no earthly idea why you would want to be seen spending time with me anyway." he turned around, not baring to face her anymore as he knew that if he looked into those big, black eyes filled with love and emotions, he would break. And he needed to say everything there was to be said before that happened.

"Because I love you! Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps this is the reason why I'm with you? I love you. And I couldn't care any less what everyone else thinks! They can keep their opinions to themselves because you are my man and I wouldn't care if you were thirty or forty or fifty years older than me dammit!" her voice raised a little and she looked like she was about to cry but she fought tooth and nail to hold her tears back.

He froze, then slowly turned around. Her tear filled eyes looked just as surprised about what she had said as he was. "What did you say?" he asked hesitantly, trying to convince himself that he had somehow misheard what she said or that she didn't really mean it. Doubt still fogged his mind.

"Ti amo." she said softly and before she even had the chance to finish her sentence his lips were crashing over hers, muttering on her swollen from the kiss lips. _"I love you too. I love you so much."_

 **tesoro / treasure**

 **Ti amo / I love you**

* * *

 _ **Hello everyone! I finished this chapter super quickly. Don't worry though 'cause I'm already working on the next one so it should be up tonight or tomorrow morning. I hope you like this. This is officially our couple's first fight! (well, kinda) I just love writing about Munch. Plz let me know what you think because your feedback means so much to me! I love you!**_


	10. Drinks with Friends

She was baking like she would so often and he was going through some office paperwork. He hated that he couldn't dedicate more time to the two of them like he so much wanted but his work had always been very demanding and that certainly wouldn't change now. Thankfully, she had never made the slightest of complaints to make him feel guilty like she would be right to. Even at those few moments that they got to themselves, something would come up and ruin it all but still she didn't say a thing and he loved her even more for it.

Despite their inability to go outside a lot, they would cherish each other's company even at home, most times spending their nights together simply curled up on their loveseat reading. Neither of them felt the need to go out very often. They were content to stay in and spend quality time together.

It felt like a weight had left his shoulders that he had finally admitted the full depth of his feelings to her. Like he had showed her all his cards and so had she. He now felt closer to her than ever and he very often found himself lying awake at night, entertaining sentimental thoughts about their future together and clinging onto the hope that she might never understand how unworthy he was of her presence and most importantly, her love.

* * *

She gently laid a plate in front of him and he was immediately intoxicated by the wonderful smell, turning his gaze to look at her masterpiece. She giggled at his response. "Are you hungry, tesoro?" she whispered sweetly in his ear and her breath tickled him a little.

He hadn't eaten for a while now so there was no way he would say no to her proposition looking at the magic that laid in front of him. "What's this?" he asked gingerly and she took a seat right next to him, anxiously waiting to see whether he liked it.

"Cannoli, amore. It's a Sicilian sweet. Do you want to try?" she smiled coyly at him and all he could do was nod. A single bite was enough to make his day. She never failed to surprise him with her extraordinary culinary skills, especially when it came to pastries. She stared at him with huge eyes, nervously waiting to see his reaction. "It's amazing." he leaned in to kiss her and she smiled with satisfaction before getting up again to get back to her task.

"Rosa?" his voice rang through the small space that her living room provided, chiming and bouncing off the walls. The blonde appeared from behind the wall, her hands and cooking apron covered with flour or some other similar substance he couldn't really tell apart. Her cheeks were burning and had turned a very bright crimson red, most likely because of the overwhelming heat that had started to fill the house due to her actions in the kitchen.

"Si, tesoro. What is it?" she picked up a towel from the counter and did her best to clean the mess all over her. "Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked hesitantly. "No, I haven't planned anything yet. Why, do you have something on your mind?" he gestured for her to sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her onto him.

"Well, we were going to get a drink tonight. Liv, Elliot, Fin and I. Are you up for joining us?" he begged her with his puppy eyes. He couldn't really read her expression but he could tell she was startled by his preposition. "Really? Drinks with your partners?"

"They want to know you and I couldn't think of a better opportunity. Besides, my heart wouldn't take it to go out and leave you alone here when we have spent so little time together this week." he swept her hair away from her neck, filling it with kisses as he moved up to sip and suck gently her earlobe, making her shiver in pleasure. "But are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, will they like me?" she tried to ignore his affectionate gestures and get to her point despite his strenuous efforts to disrupt her thoughts.

"Sweetie, who could possibly **not** like you? You are the most lovable person in the whole world." his hands moved down her shoulders and continued their journey down the curve of her waist before ending up on her bottom, constantly teasing her. She slapped them away playfully and he pretended to look hurt placing a hand over his heart. "Tesoro! I'm serious! I know how much your partners mean to you. I don't want to embarrass you." his playful look was erased from his features as he turned serious.

"Embarrass me? Darling don't you ever say that again. You could never embarrass me. All I do is brag about how lucky I am that I somehow managed to get you. Let me tell you something. My friends are going to love you because they will see how beautiful and intelligent and kind you are. And they are going to love every single little thing about you just like everyone else does. Do you understand me?" he looked deeply into her eyes and she knew he meant every single word because his charming, brown eyes always hid nothing but honesty and love in them.

She nodded her head and smiled at the beauty of his words. His hands found their place back where they were before and he continued to tease her while kissing her fiercely, passionately. He pushed away all the papers on his desk, making room for his arms wrapped around her waist – he was stronger than he looked – and suddenly she was lifted off the floor and placed on the hard wood as he continued her to kiss her breathtakingly.

"John..." she can barely speak. "I thought you had to work to do." she giggles against the softness of his mouth. "Work can wait." he answered strictly, grinning ever so saucily.

 **amore / love**

* * *

 _ **Jesus! When did I become so productive in the fanfic business? If only I was that energetic when it came to doing things in real life. That would be real useful. Anyways, enough with my chattering. Hoped you guys liked this chapter as well. For a couple chapters now, I've realized that my story is turning more into different drabbles that succeed one another in the storyline rather than one full story, haven't they? I just wish to skip some time into their relationship sometimes so that way it's easier for me. I hope you don't mind. Plz let me know what you think, because I love your feedback.**_


	11. You and Only You

She had been navigating the small space that her closet provided for quite a while now and he couldn't help but eye her every now and then from her bed where he was sitting and reading. He kept wondering what it was she was pondering so hard over.

"Do you expect them to change colors or something the longer you look at them?" he sassed and she turned her head to face him, poking her tongue out as she moved back to sit on the edge of her bed. "No. I'm just thinking what I'm going to wear tonight." she turned her gaze back to the closet.

"You see here's one thing I never understood about women - well, among many others things actually." he let out a small laugh and she giggled. "For some reason that is way beyond my comprehension, they always contemplate so hard over something as petty and unimportant as clothing. But honestly now, I have never seen **you** fuss over this kind of thing."

"I just don't know what to pick to make a good impression. Could you help me?" she looked at him with puppy eyes that melted him and he couldn't bear saying no. "Like the fashion idol that I am, I shall." he sassed again and laughed at her cute eye roll.

He glanced quickly at her many choices. "Darling, you look lovely in every single one of these." he tried to make his way out of this as easily as possibly but the look on her face suggested she wouldn't really take it and he snorted, making her laugh. One more look into the endless rainbow of colors and a bright blue flowy dress caught his attention. "What about this one? Never seen you wear it and it looks nice." he pointed at it and she immediately nodded her head in disagreement.

"The reason why you've never seen me wearing this is because the cleavage is huge. I could never get away with wearing this. Everything would be out on display. Not happening." she looked absolute and he was shocked with her statement. He knew already that she was very weary towards her body and full of insecurities, although he failed to understand why since a blind man could see she was simply stunning. She was significantly busty and her body was most definitely a full eight figure. Most women would kill for her feminine curves.

He tilted his head a little in confusion. "Now that you've pointed it out, it's true. I've never seen you wear anything with cleavage. But I don't see why not. Could you please just try it on so I can make my point on how good it's going to look on you?" he begged and she put her hands in the air, giving up.

A couple of minutes later and she was back, the room brightened up again at her presence in that dress. It fell over her curves so delicately and the sight of her milky skin, her slim and perfect neck leading down to the faint line that showed from her cleavage was breathtaking. A flash of desire went right through him and he couldn't take his eyes of her as she giggled at his reaction, bringing his attention back.

"You look more beautiful than ever. And I didn't think that was possible." he moved closer to her and she rolled her eyes yet again, avoiding his intense gaze but letting out a small grin. "Please wear it tonight..." the puppy eyes were back and she nodded her head, placing a tiny kiss on his jawline.

* * *

They were about ten minutes late and that was only because of their ridiculous argument over how they would get to the bar. Sure, Munch wasn't a big fun of driving and getting caught in the forever packed streets of New York so he would rather take a taxi whenever possible. Rosanna on the other hand insisted that they take the bus since the place they were heading to was not that far away.

Long story short, he couldn't say no to her, impressed by her arguments in favor of her opinion that proved to him for once more just how witty and brilliant she was. After what seemed like ages to him, they finally managed to reach their destination following a very long and uncomfortable ride.

They were walking down the street and she barely even glanced at him during their entire walk, obviously annoyed by an incident that had taken place in the bus. A male passenger that was standing next to her had been eyeing her for quite a while and even attempted to chat with her, completely ignoring Munch's presence. She did her best to avoid him, only offering him awkward smiles and pregnant pauses between her every answer but the guy seemed to insist so he decided to step in.

John tried to be as kind as possible but when he turned around and asked me why the hell he was interfering and whether he was her grandpa or something, he just snapped and so they had to come down the bus much sooner than they should, making their walk to the bar much longer.

Munch peeked at his small blonde through his glasses and she was still keeping a distance between the two of them. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and started berating him. "Really, John. You must know you overreacted." her tone was now tense, something highly unusual for her timid personality.

Rosanna looked like she was at the end of her rope. Her face was red, and her pitch black eyes looked even bigger than usual. None of these details mattered to Munch he still thought she was the most gorgeous creature alive. "John! Are you even listening to me? Lo giuro a volte penso che sia più facile parlare a un muro che cercare di mantenere una conversazione con tu."

He was trying his best not to laugh, but, unfortunately, he was finding it too difficult. She was just so cute when she got angry. He couldn't even remember why she had started yelling in the first place and he didn't couldn't even figure out what it was she was saying in Italian. Oh, yes, that guy had overstepped his bounds. "Rosa, he was basically harassing you. If you thought I was going to let him slobber all over you, you don't know me at all."

"Per l'amor di Dio! Ma stai scherzando? It's true that he was kind of a pest but he most definitely wasn't harassing me and you were being insensible. Besides, I think that I could handle myself in there. It's not like he attacked me." she did her best to drop her tone. "Yes," he practically purred. "I'm aware, my love. I'm also aware that that man-child refused to wrap his head around the fact that you are unavailable. I decided to help educate him."

"È stato molto gentile da parte tua, tesoro." He struggled to make up what it was exactly she was saying but her tone hinted that she was being ironic. John sighed loudly. "Please don't be angry, sweetheart. I'm sorry I lost my temper. I should have let you handle it, I know. You have no idea though how it pained me to watch him try and make a move on you."

He knew how lucky he was to have won her once. He couldn't help but feel nervous when better and far younger men than him showed interest in her, which happened more often then he cared to admit. She had reassured him from the beginning that she had no problem with their significant age difference and that he loved him far too much to ever leave him for anyone else and he believed her; he had no reason not to trust her. It was everyone else than he didn't trust. His competition was very vast and severely aggressive, something that didn't surprise him. He would have been a fool to believe that noone else would ever make a move on such an ethereal creature as her beloved one was.

While he was working out a sincere apology in his head, Rosa moved over to his and synced her stepping along with his, taking his hand and leaning on his shoulder. He loved having her back so close. Her warmth always brought him comfort.

"I'm sorry for yelling," she said with a sigh. "I just wish you would stop being so insecure about this. About us. I will always choose you. Ti amo, Johnny." She wrapped her arms around his neck and reached up for a kiss. "I love you too, darling." he murmured against her lips and took her hand to move towards the way of the bar.

 **Lo giuro a volte penso che sia più facile parlare a un muro che cercare di mantenere una conversazione con tu. / I swear sometimes I think it would be easier to talk to a wall than try and maintain a conversation with you.**

 **Per l'amo di Dio! / For God's sake!**

 **Ma stai scherzando? / Are you kidding me?**

 **È stato molto gentile da parte tua / That was very kind of you**

* * *

 _ **My heart can't take the fluffiness here! Next chapter coming up real quickly! I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Plz let me know what you think. Kisses!**_


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